Perfect: I am Shi An from Shicun, and I am Huang’s brother!

Chapter 434 Forbidden Zone Imperial City
The beam of light, like the first divine chain of order created at the dawn of time, stretched across the void, not only dividing the battlefield but also seemingly freezing time itself.

The boiling killing intent, the exploding runes, and the roaring magical techniques all fell silent under this one finger, as if everything had been put on pause.

Whether it was Shi Hao's dazzling sword light, the Ten-Crown King's earth-shattering dragon fist, or the Immortal's silent sonic ripples, they were all like mosquitoes in amber, stuck in mid-air, unable to advance an inch.

All cultivators, friend or foe, felt an irresistible, immense power enveloping them, their magical energy stagnateing, their souls seemingly frozen, and even their thoughts becoming slow.

Above the sky, the three middle-aged sages of the Heavenly God Academy stood indifferently, their gazes sweeping over the chaotic battlefield below like ancient ice.

Their gazes finally settled on the Taiyin Jade Rabbit, which was protected by Shi An's rune shield, tightly hugging the snow-white little Qilin, looking both fearful and stubborn.

"The entrance examination for the Heavenly God Academy is not a stage for your infighting."

After gazing for a moment, the middle-aged sage in the center spoke. His voice was not loud, but it was like a decree of heaven, carrying an unquestionable majesty that resounded in the hearts of every cultivator, causing their primordial spirits to tremble.

His gaze swept over the pale-faced young prodigies from the great sects of the outer realms below, especially the one whose shoulder blade had been pierced by Shi Hao's sword and was still bleeding profusely. His eyes were indifferent, without the slightest pity.

"senior!"

The leader of a major sect from beyond the realm, barely suppressing the omnipresent pressure, bowed respectfully, his tone filled with resentment: "The Qilin cub is of paramount importance, a destiny defying the heavens, how can it be..."

"boom!"

But before he could finish speaking, the supreme being in the center turned his gaze slightly. Without any visible movement, the cultivator from beyond the realm who had spoken was struck as if by lightning. He was sent flying backward, spitting out a string of tragic blood flowers in the air. The runes around his body instantly dimmed, and he crashed heavily into the distant mountain wall, embedding himself in it, suffering serious injuries.

"Fortune is bestowed upon those who are destined, resided in those who are virtuous, and guarded by those who are powerful."

After making an example of someone, the Supreme Being in the center withdrew his gaze, his voice still calm, yet it silenced everyone: "You all attacked in groups, using numbers to bully the few; this is immoral."

"If a prolonged attack fails and the enemy is instead suppressed, it is a sign of weakness."

"If one has neither virtue nor power, how can one speak of creation?"

Upon hearing this, the faces of the besieging cultivators from beyond the realm turned pale and then red, but none of them dared to utter a word in rebuttal.

Because in the face of absolute power, any reasoning seems pale and powerless.

At the same time, the Supreme One on the right turned his gaze to the Taiyin Jade Rabbit protected by Shi An in the rune shield, and the snow-white, magnificent little Qilin in her arms: "Now that you have gained the recognition of the auspicious beast, you should treat it well and not fail this cause and effect."

The Lunar Jade Rabbit, initially stunned by the earth-shattering finger strike, immediately hugged the little Qilin tightly upon hearing the Supreme Being's words, nodding vigorously, its large, ruby-like eyes filled with earnestness: "Yes! I will protect it! Anyone who tries to take it will have to step over my... first!"

"Step over everyone's corpses!"

She originally wanted to say it was herself, but after looking around at Shi Hao, the Ten-Crown King, and others, she cleverly changed her words.

The little Qilin seemed to understand, raising its head and letting out a few soft cries towards the three supreme beings in the clouds. Its body was surrounded by rosy light and auspicious energy, making it appear even more extraordinary.

Seeing this, the Supreme One in the center nodded slightly, said no more, and instead gently flicked his sleeve.

In an instant, the beam of light that stretched across the void and isolated the battlefield vanished silently, the stagnant spacetime resumed its flow, and the magical techniques and sword energy that were fixed in mid-air all lost their support and disappeared without a trace.

All the cultivators felt a lightness in their bodies as the terrifying binding force disappeared. However, after the shock they had just experienced, no one dared to make a move easily, and the atmosphere in the arena remained oppressive. "Alright, let's go to the Imperial City!"

But before they could recover, the supreme ruler in the center waved his sleeve again.

In an instant, whether it was a ten-time champion, a banished immortal, or a genius from beyond the realm, they were all obscured.

Then they disappeared from there, leaving no one behind.

When everyone regained consciousness, they found themselves in a completely different place.

At the same time, a vast, ancient, and powerful pressure, imbued with the aura of iron and blood and the flames of war, swept over us, making our hearts tremble.

Looking up, there was a colossal city in front of me that defied description, surrounded by vast stars. It seemed not to have been built by human hands, but to have existed since the beginning of time.

The city walls, built of stars, stretched endlessly, as if severing the entire world and completely isolating the vast land behind from the unknown future.

Above it, countless intricate and enormous runes could be faintly seen slowly flowing, condensing into a transparent light membrane that covered the entire sky, radiating an indestructible and impervious eternal aura, suppressing heaven and earth.

This is the imperial city!
The front line and the final bulwark against foreign invaders and to protect the heavens and earth!
Of course, Shi An also knew that there was an even more ancient imperial pass deeper inside, guarded by the Blood of Sin lineage.

All the geniuses, whether they were the pride of those great sects from beyond the realm, or pioneers like Shi Hao and the Ten-Crown King who had visited not long ago, were all awestruck by the magnificent aura of this majestic city. For a moment, they were speechless, and an indescribable shock and solemnity welled up in their hearts.

"This is... the Imperial City?!"

The Moon Rabbit forgot its nervousness, hugged the little Qilin, its ruby-like eyes wide open and its little mouth slightly agape.

The little Qilin also quieted down, its clear eyes reflecting the outline of the giant city, seemingly instinctively sensing a heavy will to protect it.

However, although they arrived here, they could not enter the city because they were not qualified.

Throughout history, only emperors or those who signed the Primordial Covenant have been allowed to enter!
What's chilling is that even those people who went in never came back, and nobody knows what happened to those who disappeared.

Mysterious, vast, and unknown are the best descriptions of this city.

Without lingering, the group, led by the three supreme beings, quickly arrived at a nearby city.

After arriving here, the three supreme beings briefly explained things to everyone, and then left with the Taiyin Jade Rabbit and the Qilin, giving no one else a chance to speak.

In the end, the group had no choice but to enter the city.

Not long after they entered, Shi An and Shi Hao spotted many familiar faces, including Feng Wu, Mu Zixiao, Zhen Gu, Teng Yi, Zuo Xiaodi, and others.

"Yunxi, Ling'er!"

Feng Wu, with her sharp eyes, spotted Yun Xi and Huo Ling'er at a glance. She ran over happily, took their hands, and smiled warmly: "You're here too! I thought you weren't coming."

(End of this chapter)